Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-02-23
OF What Use is Fine Lingerie ?


NEW YORK, Feb. 19.-You have heard
the young ladies who club together to hire
one suite OF rooms and take turns in
keeping house, and who have at least one
best dress in common, for what they call
grand (but call masculine) occasions.
SUCH coterIes are increasing In number
continually. l have read learned ac-
counts of them as straws to show that the
wind OF the world of labor is setting to-
ward cooperation. l do not pretend TO
have brains enough in my little head to
discuss that, but l begin TO think the
common ownership of clothes enters as
| much into the formation OF these clubs
as anything. First, the best suit, which
is as many times better than one miss
can buy as there are girls in the club;
alter that the freedom from boarding
house rules and gossip and mopotonOus
food, and finally the oaeapness OF living
these are the inducements that develop
these clubs. IL you had ever lived in
boarding house, with ham and eggs five
mornings in the week, anu all the house.
hold Keeping over the balusters whenever
your best company called to see you, to
say nothing OF hearing next morning that
some sour old maid in the back parlor
thought it shame that gentleman call
ers should stay as late as IL O'Clock In
respectable house, you would see which
way the wind blew yourself.
l was in one OF these club fats the 9TH
err day, where five ladies live together in
suite OF six rooms. We girls are all
babes In the woods, waiting for some man
to find US and bring us to
matrimony; but three OF these
misses, poor dears, had strayed SO
far among the trees that L fear no hus-
band will ever hunt them up. The new
young girls keep getting married and the
old ones keep getting new companions TO
make up the five. But the three charter
members are still in the woods. Well, Of
course, l was shown the best dress first
of all. 1t hung In the parior closet, iu-
side an uustarched skirt, with the be aded
basque IN box by itself. 1t certainly
was love Of dress, just between lilac
and dark purple in color, and made of
silk SO heavy and stitfened so with Jew
eled trimming that it could have stood up
at Queens reception without needing a
woman inside of it. 1t cost these FIVE
girls 1913 apiece.
What a history 1t could tell BOW
many parts it plays. 1t takes Alice very
gravely to church on Sundays with her
civil engineer. 1t becomes giddy and
fllrtatious on the pretty form of Gertie,
as it accompanies her to plays and alter
ward TO little suppers on Friday nights.
1t is fairly strained with suppressed ex-
element when, on the back of Mary, 1t is
forever being squeezed into cabs on
Thursdays, with pinchings and covert
pressures thrown in. And then it is
as prim as Quaker's gown when Viola
takes it to the Water Color Exhibition
and all the dreary lectures on art. Last
years dress was in the same closeJ-good
enough for occasions when the gentlemen
happened to insist on two girls going out
at once.
But what let a new light on these clubs
for me was being shown bureau drawer
full OF the very daintiest llnen-skirts,
you know, and corset covers and-well,
the whole set out; each garment, whether
bifurcated or In one piece, being formed
of wealth of insertion and plating and
tucks and trimming Of lace or embroid-
cry. That drawer was simply SYM
phony in underwear.
alt goes with the best Dress" l was
told.
l said "of course" though l hadn't
ever thought OF such a thing, and / sup
pose to a man it would seem perfect nom
sense. Yet the minute l saw the Things
conceded the logic and propriety of hav-
ing them. That. married women tell me,
is what men never can understand-why
q woman must be as perfect in regions
invisible as in her outer garb. What il
nobody but waserhwoman does see the
exquisite lace and embroidery in a
maiden's possessionI She knows she Is
wearing it. She knows she is as nearly
perfect as she can be. My goodness!
What a thought there is in that SEN
tence! Why, never shall forget how it
Is to feel The other way. | had such an
experience once. l was to speak a
graduating piece at school. wrote 1t
out and committed it to memory and
spoke it to my chums and relatives and
my teacher. 1t was praised to the skies,
of course. When the great day came l
expected to walk on the stage, smiling
and bowling right and left, for | knew
that piece as wei! as L do my prayers.
But on the way 1 stopped to pick up
glove. My knee strained tight and
diaphanous garment and r-r-r-r-lp
went a tear foot long. On the stage |
could think OF nothing else. Every drop
of blood went to my face. Every line fled
my memory. 1t was exactly the same to
me as if my skirts were transparent and
every body could see my misery.